When the first Thor film was released in 2011, I skipped it. It didn’t look interesting in the least bit. After renting it, I decided that while it wasn’t terrible, it wasn’t great. When The Dark World came out, I was much more invested in who Thor was thanks to The Avengers. (Also, he had lost those bleached eyebrows.) While that movie wasn’t great, it held an interesting place in the MCU, since it was one of the first crossovers with Agents of SHIELD.

As much as I like Thor, the movies simply weren’t clicking for me. Then I saw the first trailer for Thor: Ragnarok. I was immediately sucked back in. Bringing the Hulk in was also a bonus. Who doesn’t want to see the big green guy again? When the posters started showing up, I could feel that they were somehow going to go with a Guardians of the Galaxy feel. With colors that bright, there was no doubt in my mind. Again, points.

In the film, Thor finds himself on a mission to save Asgard and its people from Hela, Odin’s former right hand. He ends up on the planet Sakaar, where he is thrust into battle against their champion - the Incredible Hulk. The problem is, he still has to protect Asgard from their impending demise: Ragnarok.

Spoiler-Free Assessment

From the very first scene of Thor: Ragnarok, I had this inkling that this would be one of my favorite Marvel films to date. Thor’s opening monologue was a great way to refresh everyone on what was going on with him. We haven’t seen him in an MCU flick since 2015’s Age of Ultron. It also helped me make a new, more personal connection with the character. As you may know, character is what I love the most about movies. This one has a lot to love. More on that in a second.

Director Taika Waititi definitely found some tone inspiration from Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s an extremely funny movie. Lots of great moments are sprinkled throughout and they’re still funny watching it a second time. The only complaint I have with it is that there are a couple of serious moments in the film where you expect a joke to come. Sure enough, they arrive. Minor complaint, I know.

The new additions to the MCU in regards to characters have made me excited to see where they’ll appear next. Let’s talk about Thor’s hodge-podge team for a bit.

I don’t know if any other reviewers think this, but I thought the re-introduction to the Hulk made him feel fresh. We haven’t seen him since Age of Ultron, either, and that was a sad departure. Here, we see a beloved warrior instead of an outcast. Hulk believes Sakaar is where he belongs. His chemistry with Thor makes this a fun buddy movie.

Loki is also brought back. Of course, he’s up to his trickster ways, but his character arc is interesting. We get to see a glimmer of hero in him. He’s also a great counterpart to Thor. Throwing the comedy element into their relationship was smart. Waititi and the writers have helped build upon what Joss Whedon started with The Avengers.

We meet Valkyrie - played by Tessa Thompson - might be a reluctant drunk, but she becomes a valuable asset to the team. She also holds her own when she’s on the screen with Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Mark Ruffalo. She never misses a beat.

Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster is… well, Jeff Goldblum. He gives the, um, ah, performance that you would, um, expect him to give. It’s droll, sarcastic, and a fun part of Thor: Ragnarok. I do have to say that I could have used less of him, though.

Skurge - Karl Urban - was one of my least favorite characters here. I like Karl Urban, but a lot of his character seemed forced in, like he had to be put in the movie because someone owed someone else a favor. We could have left him in his introductory scene and left h...